Kila Ka'aihue | First Baseman

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Recent News

Kila Ka'aihue hit his third homer of the spring Thursday against the Astros.

Ka'aihue, Tyler Moore and Clint Robinson are all having great springs for the Nationals, but Moore is seemingly the only one with a real chance of making the club. On the other hand, the strong showings of Ka'aihue and Robinson give the Nats more flexibility to trade Moore, who is out of options, if they don't want to carry a lumbering backup. Ka'aihue and Robinson are both on minor league deals, so they can be sent down without incident. Mar 20 - 4:27 PM

Nationals signed 1B Kila Ka'aihue to a minor league contract.

The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training. 30-year-old hasn't played in the big leagues since the 2012 season and has spent the past two years in Japan where he slashed .258/.358/.443 with 25 homers and 85 RBI in 154 games for the Hiroshima Carp. He'll compete for a spot on the Nationals bench. Jan 18 - 7:47 PM

The release was requested by Ka'aihue, who had an out clause in his contract. He batted .313/.426/.620 with 16 homers and 50 RBI at Triple-A Reno before asking to be cut loose. He won't have trouble catching on elsewhere. Sun, Jun 2, 2013 12:37:00 PM

Depth Charts

Anthony Rendon will seek a third opinion from Dr. Steven Singleton regarding his knee injury.

It should be noted that Rendon, and not the team, has chosen to look for the third opinion. He saw Dr. James Andrews on Monday and a left MCL sprain was the confirmed diagnosis. Rendon has been dealing with this sprain since March 9 and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. Yunel Escobar is tentatively slated to take his place at the hot corner, though Escobar has not played third since 2007.

Jayson Werth (shoulder) indicated that he wasn't sure when he would be able to return.

Werth saw his first action of the spring on Monday, going 1-for-2 in a minor league game. He's recovering from a January shoulder surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder. While he said he felt good following the game, he also noted that he didn't know how things would progress moving forward. Uncertainty aside, all signs point toward Opening Day or shortly thereafter for the veteran.

Denard Span (abdomen) said Sunday that he isn't sure when he'll be cleared to play in rehab games.

Span is making steady progress from his second core muscle surgery -- he ran sprints and took swings with a fungo bat this past weekend in Florida -- but the Nationals have not yet mapped out a rehab assignment for him. Span probably won't be activated from the disabled list until sometime in early-to-mid May. Michael Taylor is expected to be Washington's primary center fielder in April.

McLouth's surgically-repaired right shoulder is still giving him issues when he throws. He had major surgery last August to repair a torn labrum, so it's not a surprise that he's encountered a hiccup along the way. Look for the Nationals to play it safe with McLouth and start him on the disabled list.

Drew Storen left Monday's Grapefruit League game due to a blister on his right foot.

That's a sigh of relief for the Nationals, who are dealing with all sorts of bumps and bruises at the moment. Storen, who is expected to serve as Nats' closer this season, should be fine by the time Opening Day rolls around.

Casey Janssen was diagnosed with right rotator cuff tendinitis after undergoing an MRI.

Janssen reported some discomfort after his most recent Grapefruit League appearance last week, so the Nats decided to get him checked out. It's not a long-term concern, but Nationals manager Matt Williams acknowledged that Opening Day is a question mark.

He's now set to throw three bullpen sessions per week over the next four weeks. "It's great. It's a good feeling because it's been over a year since I've been on the mound," Davis said. "It's a major milestone for me, but I understand that the work is not done. I'm going to keep working hard on the field." Davis likely won't be game-ready until around midseason. He can aim for a September call-up.